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Is Julius Caesar Honorable Or Persuasive?

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Antony is most persuasive because he is able to show that Caesar was not ambitious, but a generous man, and that the conspiracists weren't honorable. Some may argue that Brutus is the most persuasive because Brutus is honorable and did what was best for Rome. Brutus uses strong logic to explain why Caesar had to die, “Who is here so base that he would be a bondman? If any, speak, for him have I offended. Who is so rude that he would not be a Roman? If any, speak, for him have I offended. Who is so vile that he will not love his country? If any, speak, for him have I offended. I pause for a reply” (Shakespeare 42).Brutus expresses how if Caesar were to live, all Romans would be a slave to his ambition. So all the citizens of Rome had the idea …show more content…

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And sure he is an honorable man” (Shakespeare 44). Antony has proved that Caesar isn't ambitious and that the conspiracists aren't honorable, making him more persuasive. Antony explained how Caesar had made the country wealthier, and how he rejected being king three times. This shows that he wasn't very ambitious because he could have kept the money for himself, and could have become king and abused this new power. So this shows that Brutus wasn't honorable, making Brutus lose all the credibility he had during his speech. Antony is more persuasive than Brutus because he's able to prove Caesar isn't ambitious by sharing his will. Antony shares Caesar’s will, conveying, “To every Roman citizen he gives, To every man, seventy-five drachmas. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbors, and new-planted orchards” (Shakespeare 48). Firstly, Antony shares how Caesar left everyone seventy-five drachmas. This proves that Caesar wasn't ambitious because he gave every citizen a large sum of money. This also leads to the citizens thinking that Brutus isn't all that honorable because he claimed that Caesar was this ambitious, selfish …show more content…

Then he shares that Caesar had left his private walks, arbors, and orchards. This shows that Caesar was a generous person, always caring for the Romans, and even in death Caesar loved them. So with these two things in Caesar’s will, Antony shows how Caesar was very generous and loved the people of Rome. Antony is more persuasive than Brutus because he’s able to prove that the conspiracists aren’t very honorable because of how violent the killing of Caesar was. Antony shows the citizens Caesar’s dead body, vocalizing, “Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd; And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away, Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it, As rushing out of doors, to be resolved If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no; For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel. Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the most unkindest cut of all; For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms, quite vanquish'd him. Then burst his mighty heart, And, in his mantle muffling up his face, Even at the base of Pompey's statue, Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell. O, what a fall there, my

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945 Words | 4 Pages

Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him I have offended.” (3.2.113) This tactic is being used to make the crowd feel proud of their country, and guilty if they don’t agree with Antony. One of the things that makes Brutus better, when concerning these criteria, is that he openly expected a reaction from the crowd which inclined them to give him one.

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1052 Words | 5 Pages

After arguing that Caesar was in fact good for Rome, Antony still needed to address his ambitions. The very idea that Caesar was ambitious at all is called into question:“When the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: / Ambition should be made of sterner stuff” (Shakespeare 3.2 91-92). Caesar cared about the people of Rome, which makes it unlikely that he would become the tyrannical emperor that the conspirators feared. This part of Antony’s speech helps to weaken to Brutus’s speech and strengthen Antony’s own argument. Brutus’s argument that Caesar was ambitious is refuted: “I thrice presented him a kingly crown / Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition” (Shakespeare 3.2 96-97).

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664 Words | 3 Pages

Antony knows he can’t easily say the conspirators are wrong, he’s simply easing his way into the Romans’ minds. Antony uses the honor of Brutus against Brutus himself. Antony also uses Caesar’s “ambitious” ways to make the Romans question Brutus’

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Brutus clearly shows this when he states, “Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves” (III,ii. 21). Brutus justifies his reasoning by reassuring that the people do sincerely want Caesar dead. He accomplishes this when he gives a non-fictional example to the people that will make them not regret Caesar’s death. In contrast, Antony desperately tries to persuade the people into feeling remorse for the killing of Caesar and possibly inspiring a rebellion against Brutus. He says, “I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse” (III,ii. 91-92).

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946 Words | 4 Pages

There are very strong, well-used persuasive strategies used during the speeches at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus, a Senator of noble birth, creates a powerful but concise speech while relying on structure and strategy to carry his words. Antony, a Roman general, uses emotions and eloquent language to deliver his stirring message. By examining the persuasive techniques of both speakers, it is clear that Brutus is more effective in his speech than Anthony.

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1014 Words | 5 Pages

Antony utilizes Caesar’s will, body, and cloak to tug at their heartstrings. He initially uses the will as leverage to really pull the commoners into his trap. He states that “I must not read it. It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you. You are not wood, you are not stones, but men.

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769 Words | 4 Pages

I believe that Mark Antony gave more of a persuasive speech because Antony and Caesar were friends, he sounded like he actually cared about Caesar and that he actually wanted to tell people about Caesar and how good of a guy he was. Always, I think Mark Antony speech is better than Brutus’s because Antony actually put effort into his speech about Caesar when Brutus was one of the persons who killed Caesar. So that shows that Brutus really didn’t care about Caesar. “Men have become brutish beasts and lost their reason.”

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/ I would not, Cassius, yet I love him well.” (1.2.85-86, 89). Brutus explains his fears that Caesar may love power more than Rome. Brutus loves Caesar, but would not allow him to rise to power and then turn his back on the people of Rome. What Brutus has said really goes to further prove how honorable

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279 Words | 2 Pages

Why was Antony’s speech more persuasive than Brutus's? In act three both Antony and Brutus gave a speech to the people of Rome. Brutus’s speech was meant to justify the conspiracy’s actions. Antony’s speech however, was meant to persuade the people that the conspiracy was wrong to kill Caesar. In the story of Julius Caesar, Caesar was inevitably murdered by the conspiracy.

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521 Words | 3 Pages

While Brutus spoke well, but had no real factual standpoint, Antony gave many examples of Caesar’s achievements. In his speech he uses Pathos, Logos, Ethos, and Situational Irony to sway his audience. He uses Brutus’ and Cassius’ precious honor and Caesar’s achievements against them, saying, “When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept./ Ambition should be made of sterner stuff./ Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,/ And Brutus is an honorable man” (3.2.90-93). In this statement and many other statements following the same pattern Antony degrades the honor and the arguments of Caesar’s ambition that were made by Brutus and the other conspirators.

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Antony tells facts, “implementing logic”, that the people have witnessed and that’s why his speech is better than Brutus’s. Antony giving facts that the people know of using lothos, ethos, and pathos in his speech was a great way for his speech to be much better than Brutus’s. As Brutus is speaking about Caesar during his funeral he remind the people that they did love him indeed, but what Brutus has done is far greater than what Caesar would have done. “did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?” (2.2.30-31).

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592 Words | 3 Pages

In Brutus’ speech he says “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him.” He lists all the good qualities about Caesar then contradicts them with the one bad quality that overrides them. The audience begins to think that maybe Caesar wasn’t so good after all. Throughout Antony’s speech he gives reasons why Caesar could not have been ambitious but not soon after he says “Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man.” As a result of this, the crowd begins to doubt Caesar’s ambition and Brutus’

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642 Words | 3 Pages

He states, “when the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; Ambition should be mad of sterner stuff,” which indicated that Caesar’s kind self should not have been killed for his caring actions. He then says, “Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And sure he is an honorable man.” Antony was obviously being sarcastic because killing a good friend is definitely not “honorable”. All of the citizens then begin to feel anger towards Brutus’ unloyalty, which is exactly what Antony intended to do. Antony uses the phrase “Brutus is an honorable man,” so many times in his speech.

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884 Words | 4 Pages

Brutus delivers his speech in a laudatory manner by conveying Caesar’s deeds and claiming he was ambitious, although Antony contradicts Brutus’ claims and says Caesar spurned the crown with the intent to merely rule as a de facto dictator. Brutus’ speech reveals his motives were truly for the benefit of Rome given his nationalistic tone and Antony’s speech was merely used to obscure his true motives, which was to embroil Rome in a series of civil wars to attain power. Brutus and Antony’s speeches consisted predominantly of Pathos and Ethos, but it is Antony who ultimately it is Antony who prevails because of his almost disingenuous attitude and even use of Logos which is seen when claims that reading Caesar’s will would dishonor his compeers and even Caesar

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1177 Words | 5 Pages

There are two reasons why Antony gave this speech. The first was to get back at Brutus for murdering his beloved friend, and making him pay for it. The main reason Antony gave this speech is because he had a greed for power. He thought that if he could get all the plebeians on his side, that they would attack the conspirators and trust Antony, therefore making it easy to take on the spot for power. “Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, To cut the head off and then hack the limbs, Like wrath in death and envy afterwards, For Antony is but a limb of Caesar.

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